Growing food in the Willamette Valley

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Sustainability

Towards more sustainable community

Turn away from consumerism – almost every object around us was manufactured from finite raw materials using energy; we had to earn money to buy it, usually by driving to work in our cars; and it must eventually be disposed of somewhere on this planet, likely to be there forever if it’s plastic. Do we need all this stuff? Turn off the television, keep marketing out of your head!

refuse – reduce – reuse – repair – recycle

Reconnect to nature – look around you at the beauty of nature, and experience the feeling of being part of it. Care for it as if it was part of you, your arm or leg. Plant a tree. Avoid using chemicals and poisons.

Use energy wisely – gasoline, natural gas, and most electricity is not renewable, and by definition not sustainable. Buy green tags. Insulate your house. Turn down the thermostat (or up, in summer). Install compact fluorescents, and still don’t leave them on. Don’t buy vehicles with poor gas mileage. Consider your commute; can you carpool, take the bus, work from home?

Relocalize – Spending your money locally, at locally owned stores strengthens the local economy – money says in the community rather than feeding a faraway corporation. And it avoids the wasted energy of transport.

Become less dependent on the system – most of us are entirely dependent on food that arrives every day on trucks. Start a garden; if everyone in Jackson County grew one lettuce plant, think how many truckfuls of lettuce wouldn’t need to be trucked. Store a few day’s worth of food and water. Buying in bulk saves packaging. Learn about edible weeds and wild plants.

Community – no one can go it alone. Get to know your neighbors; share tools, books, and the extras from your garden. Encourage, inspire, and help each other. If we all share these tips (and new ones we come up with) with just one person, it doubles the impact.